Commemorate the historic papacy of Benedict XVI with this beautiful collection of prayers and reflections written by his holiness and discover his profound spirituality.

It was on a misty and raw morning in April 2008 that I found myself with about 100 other journalists and Pope Benedict XVI. We were at Ground Zero, now hallowed ground, facing a small stone monument marking the tragic events that took place in New York, Sept. 11, 2001.

On that particular morning in April, Pope Benedict met with about two dozen people who had either survived the bombing of the World Trade Centre, or who had lost loved ones in the attack. Regardless of who they were, the pope went to each individually, spending time hearing their stories and learning the depths of their suffering.

What was striking about the pope’s actions was how he could turn the attention away from himself and on to his guests. This is far from easy—when you’re pope you tend to be the centre of attention wherever you are. Still, Benedict somehow was able to allow the others there to be in the limelight. It was as if he could reflect the intense focus of the journalists’ cameras onto those around him.

This ability to allow his humility to shape his approach to others is what I will most remember about Benedict XVI. It has served him—and the Church—well, allowing him to propose tough truths and still have his listeners consider them thoughtfully. It allowed him to continually put the attention on Jesus Christ above all.

I recall this today while looking back on a short but eventful papacy, one that comes to an historic end on February 28, when Benedict becomes the first pope in almost 600 years to leave office while still alive.

This papacy has had its ups and downs, but a continual characteristic has been the obvious and deep-rooted humility of this pope. While we still celebrate the epic heroism of Blessed Pope John Paul II, we can recognize in Benedict a trait that says much about the man and the value of the office he held. History will be the judge of this papacy, as it judges all the comings and goings of our species. Still, in my own brief encounter, I came away moved and prompted to thoughtfulness by a most humble man.

No doubt you have your own memories about Beneditct XVI. To inspire your reflections, we have published as a special edition of Living with Christ, a 32-page collection of some of his most moving prayers and thoughts. It also contains some beautiful photographs taken from Pope Benedict’s papacy. It is our way of commemorating a remarkable man and his time as pope.

You will find the ordering information on this page. Pick one up for yourself or your closest relatives and friends. We believe you will find it a most appropriate way to let Benedict continue to be part of your life.